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San Bruno, CA - For the second time this season, Saint Mary's volleyball's middle blocker, Shannon Lowell has been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week. The native of San Jose, CA, was the driving force behind the Gaels five set win over No. 25 San Diego on Saturday, clinching the first ever WCC Championship for Saint Mary's.

"I think that great performers, champions, play the same when everything is on the line as they do when it's just another match," said head coach Rob Browning. "It doesn't matter who we are playing, Shannon is going to do everything in her power to be at her best. The match Saturday versus USD was big for us, but we want everyone to play the same way they always do--and that's what Shannon did. The fact that we relied on her so heavily on offense, and that she came through, is not surprising to me. Shannon is a consistent performer."

Lowell's line for the week was a match-high 23 kills, on 42 swings, for a .381 hitting percentage. The 23 kills and 42 attempts were both career-highs. She finished the match with one assist, four digs and three total blocks.

Lowell was at her best when the Gaels needed her most, notching four kills in the fifth and final set, including a crushing kill down the middle sealing the victory for the Gaels. This is the second time that Lowell has been named the WCC Player of the Week and the third time in her career.

With the win, No. 22 Saint Mary's improved to 19-4/11-1 WCC. The Gaels return to action on Thursday, November 19 when Saint Mary's hosts Gonzaga at 7:00 PM at McKeon Pavilion.